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COMMON COUNCIL
AUGUST 18, 2008 7:00 P.M.
THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE WAS GIVEN BY ALL IN ATTENDANCE.
REV. DANNY DOUGLAS, CROSS ROADS CHURCH, GAVE THE PRAYER.
MAYOR SMALL OPENED THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE COMMON COUNCIL.
ROLL CALL:
SANDY YORK PRESENT
ANGIE GOODMAN ABSENT
JAMES KIDD PRESENT
MARY MALONE PRESENT
LOUISE PIERCE PRESENT
VAUGHN REID PRESENT
RICHARD HAHN PRESENT
KEITH BRYANT, UNITED ENGINEERING AND DONNA ANDERSON, KENNA CONSULTING AND MANAGEMENT GROUP, HELD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE WWTP OFFICE OF COMMUNITY AND RURAL AFFAIRS GRANT.
MRS. ANDERSON SAID THAT THE CITY WOULD BE APPLYING FOR A GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $500,000.00. THE CITY WOULD ALSO BE COMMITTING $500,000.00 FROM THE SRF FUND TOWARDS THIS PROJECT AS MATCH. SHE SAID THAT THE GRANT APPLICATION IS DUE ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2008, WITH AWARD ANNOUNCEMENTS ON NOVEMBER 14, 2008 AND THE PROJECT SHOULD BE READY FOR BID IN APRIL, 2009 AND CONSTRUCTION IN MAY,2009, WITH COMPLETION IN MAY, 2010, HOPEFULLY. AN INCOME SURVEY WAS PERFORMED AND COMPLETED AND THE CITY NOW IS LOW TO MODERATE INCOME STANDS AT 53.41%, WHICH MAKES THE CITY ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THESE GRANT FUNDS. SHE ASKED FOR LETTERS OF SUPPORT IN SHOWING THE NEED FOR THIS GRANT. MRS. ANDERSON SAID THAT TONIGHT'S MEETING WAS THE PUBLIC HEARING THAT IS REQUIRED.
KEITH BRYANT, UNITED ENGINEERING, PRESENTED A DIAGRAM SHOWING EVERYTHING WHAT WAS GOING TO BE DONE AT THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT TO TREAT MORE WATER. THE DIAGRAM SHOWED THE COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOWS AND HE DESCRIBED HOW THE DRAINAGE IS TIED TO THE SYSTEM DURING WET RAINS.
COUNCILMAN REID ASKED WHAT KIND OF PERCENTAGE OF PERFORMANCE WERE THEY LOOKING AT ACHIEVING?
MR. BRYANT SAID ABOUT 2 TO 3 TIMES GREATER.
RESOLUTION:
TRANSFERRING FUNDS WITHIN A DEPARTMENT (PARK) FROM ONE BUDGET CLASSIFICATION TO ANOTHER WAS READ IN FULL BY SANDY YORK. PRESIDENT YORK MOVED TO PASS THIS RESOLUTION. COUNCILMAN HAHN: SECOND
ROLL CALL VOTE: SIX VOTES AYE. PASSED AND ORDERED.
RESOLUTION:
AUTHORIZING THE SUBMITTAL OF THE CFF APPLICATION TO THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY AND RURAL AFFAIRS AND ADDRESSING RELATED MATTERS WAS READ IN FULL BY SANDY YORK.
PRESIDENT YORK MOVED TO PASS THIS RESOLUTION. COUNCILMAN HAHN: SECOND.
ROLL CALL VOTE: SIX VOTES AYE. PASSED AND ORDERED.
ORDINANCE 3543
AMENDING TITLE VII, CHAPTER 74, SCHEDULE V OF THE NEW CASTLE CODE BY ESTABLISHING NEW SPEED LIMITS ON CERTAIN STREETS LOCATED WITH IN THE CITY WAS READ IN FULL ON SECOND READING, AFTER BEING AMENDED AT THE FORMER MEETING, BY SANDY YORK. PRESIDENT YORK MOVED TO PASS THIS ORDINANCE COUNCILMAN REID: SECOND.
ROLL CALL VOTE: FOUR VOTES AYE. TWO VOTES NAY (KIDD & HAHN)
PASSED AND ORDERED.
ORDINANCE # 3544
AMENDING ORDINANCE #3521 WAS READ IN FULL ON SECOND READING BY SANDY YORK.
PRESIDENT YORK MADE A MOTION TO TABLE THIS ORDINANCE UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING TO STUDY THIS ORDINANCE FURTHER. COUNCILMAN HAHN: SECOND
ROLL CALL VOTE: FIVE VOTES AYE ONE VOTE ABSTAIN(REID) TABLED.
ORDINANCE #3545
ADOPTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL MAINTENANCE CODE WAS READ BY TITLE ONLY BY SANDY YORK. PRESIDENT YORK SAID SHE WANTED TO TABLE THIS ORDINANCE SINCE THE COUNCIL DID NOT RECEIVE THIS UNTIL LATE THURSDAY. SHE SAID SHE KNEW THERE HAD BEEN SOME REVISIONS IN THIS ORDINANCE AND ASKED THE COUNCIL TO TABLE THIS ORDINANCE FOR TWO WEEKS TO STUDY IT FURTHER. SHE SAID IT WAS A VERY STRICT ORDINANCE AND SHE HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.
PRESIDENT YORK MOVED TO TABLE THIS ORDINANCE. COUNCILMAN HAHN: SECOND.
ROLL CALL VOTE: SIX VOTES AYE. TABLED.
COUNCIL REPORTS:
PRESIDENT YORK - REFERRED THIS PROBLEM TO THE TRAFFIC COMMITTEE. SHE HAD A REQUEST TO LOWER SPEED LIMITS ON THE 500 BLOCK OF INDIANA AVE. AND A REQUEST TO LOWER THE SPEED LIMIT ON S AVE. AT THE CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH BECAUSE OF HEAD START. SHE SAID THERE ARE 120 CHILDREN ATTENDING THAT SCHOOL.
COUNCILMAN REID SAID HE WENT TO THE 500 BLOCK OF INDIANA AVE. AND OBSERVED A LOT OF DUMP TRUCK TRAFFIC. HE SAID THEY COME DOWN THE HILL AT ABOUT 45 MPH BUT GAIN SPEED AT THE BOTTOM GOING UP SO THEY WON'T STALL OUT. HE ASKED IF THERE WAS AN EXISTING ORDINANCE THAT WOULD LIMIT THE FLOW OF DUMP TRUCKS ON INDIANA AVE.?
ATTORNEY COPENHAVER SAID THAT INDIANA AVE. USE TO BE A TRUCK ROUTE.
COUNCILMAN REID - SAID HE HAD BEEN WALKING AND LOOKING AT 18TH STREET, BETWEEN M AVE. AND A AVE.. HE SAID THE QUALITY OF THE CONCRETE WORK THAT HAS BEEN INSTALLED THERE IS VERY POOR. THE STEPS ARE SLANTING OR SLOPING IN SPOTS, MOST OF THE RETAINING WALLS THAT WERE INSTALLED HAVE NO DRAINAGE AND SOME ARE BEGINNING TO PUSH OUT. WHAT DRAINS THAT ARE THERE ARE SPACED VERY FAR APART. THERE ARE FIRE HYDRANTS INSTALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SIDEWALK. PREVIOUSLY, THERE WAS TROUBLE WITH THIS CONTRACTOR WHEN HE DID WORK ON THE NORTH END OF TOWN. THE CITY HAD TO BABY SIT THEM AND FORCE THEM TO REDO A COUPLE OF TIMES TO GET IT RIGHT. HAS THERE BEEN ANY PROGRESS IN TRYING TO GET SOMETHING DONE BETWEEN M AVE. AND A AVE. ON 18TH STREET?
MAYOR SMALL SAID THAT ANY PROBLEM ON 18TH STREET WILL BE RESOLVED. HE SAID THEY DO NOT HAVE TO GO BY OUR BUILDING CODES, THIS IS THE STATE CODE OF INDIANA.
CITIZENS APPEARING BEFORE THE COUNCIL:
EDDIE HAGER, 906 S. 14TH, ASKED ABOUT THE RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE COUNCIL. HE ASKED FOR AN UPDATE.
PRESIDENT YORK SAID THAT RULES HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED IN 2001 AND THAT IS WHAT THEY WERE ACTING UNDER. IF THERE ARE TO BE ANY CHANGES OR YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, CONTACT SOMEONE ON THE COUNCIL SO THAT THEY CAN BE WORKED OUT. AS OF NOW, NO ONE HAS APPROACHED HER TO CHANGE THE RULES. THE RULES WILL BE ADDED TO THE WEB SITE.
NORMA DISHMAN, 645 S. 11TH STREET, THANKED BUILDING INSPECTOR RIGGS FOR TAKING CARE OF A PROBLEM AT CHERRY STREET AND SOUTH 11TH. THE BUSHES HAVE BEEN CUT BACK. SHE ALSO SAID THERE IS A SIGN ON INDIANA AVE. FORBIDDING TRUCKS ON THAT AVENUE. SHE SAID THEY DO HAVE A PROBLEM AT 5TH AND INDIANA BY THE GREEN STREET SCHOOL. WHEN YOU COME OUT OF BACK OF KROGER'S, ON 5TH STREET AND TRY TO TURN EAST, YOU CANNOT SEE AROUND THE BUSHES AND TREES ON THAT CORNER.
DEB SANCHEZ SAID HER SISTER AND DAUGHTER IN LAW BOTH HAD PROBLEMS. ONE WITH A DRUNK DRIVER AND HER DAUGHTER IN LAW WHO WAS ATTACHED, CALLED 911 AND HAD NO RESPONSE FROM ANYONE.
CHIEF NICHOLSON WILL CHECK TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AS SOON AS MS. SANCHEZ GETS DATES AND TIMES SO THIS CAN BE VERIFIED.
PRESIDENT YORK MOVED FOR ADJOURNMENT.
COUNCILMAN KIDD: SECOND.